LCCC ENGLISH
DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 13/08
Bible Reading
of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11,16-19. To what shall I
compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to
one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a
dirge but you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and
they said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking
and they said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors
and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by her works."
Clement of Alexandria (150-c.215),
theologian
Protrepticos, ch.1 (SC bis, p.63rev.)/John the Baptist calls us to salvation
Is it not strange, my friends, that God is constantly exhorting us to virtue
while we hide ourselves away from this succour and postpone salvation? Doesn't
John, too, invite us to salvation? Isn't he altogether a voice that exhorts us?
Then let us ask him: «Who are you among men and where do you come from?» He will
not tell us he is Elijah and will deny himself to be Messiah but will confess
that he is a voice crying in the wilderness (Jn 1,20f.). So who is John? To take
an image, allow me to say: a voice to the Word, a Voice to God's Utterance, who
exhorts us by crying in the desert...: «Make straight the Lord's paths» (Mk 1,3
par.). John is a forerunner and his voice is forerunner to God's Word, a voice
encouraging and predisposing to salvation, a voice exhorting us to seek our
heavenly inheritance. Thanks to this voice «the barren and deserted wife no
longer lacks children» (cf. Is 54,1). The angel's voice has announced this
childbearing to me; this voice was also precursor to the Lord, who brought the
good news to the woman without a child (Lk 1,19) as it did to John in the
solitude of the desert. Therefore it is by this voice of the Word that the
barren woman bears a child in joy and the desert bears its fruit. These two
voices, precursors of the Lord, that of the angel and that of John, communicate
to me the salvation they conceal in such a way that, after the manifestation of
the Word, we gather up the fruit of fecundity, life eternal.
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters & Special Reports
Bank of Canada warns of
possible debt, mortgage defaults if conditions worsen-Canadian Press 12/12/08
Al Qaeda Arrests in
Belgium: Victory for the Good Guys.By
Walid Phares 12/12/08
Jimmy Carter and
Hizballah.By W. Thomas Smith Jr. 12/12/08
A lesson
for Lebanon from its ancient Phoenician past-By
Adam Jewell 12/12/08
Obama
must engage Europe on behalf of Mideast peace-By
Muriel Asseburg 12/12/08
Obama
would do well to address the Middle East's justice deficit-The
Daily Star 12/12/08
The new
promise in Washington may be unrealistic-By
Shlomo Ben-Ami 12/12/08
A
stalemate we may have to believe in-By
Sadegh Zibakalam 12/12/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for December
12/08
UN protects Lebanon mission convoys-United
Press International
In Iran Obama is Slammed
Over Stand on Hezbullah-Naharnet
Olmert
to Assad: Golan for Iran-Naharnet
A Burning Kiss That Misses Gebran
Tueni's Forehead
Al Qaeda operatives relocated from Iraq to Lebanon. UNIFIL ...DEBKA
file
Concerted Multi National Effort to Achieve Border Demarcation with ...Naharnet
Sfeir back visits to Syria - but 'not
obedience'-Daily Star
UNIFIL Commander honors Chinese troops in south
Lebanon-Xinhua
Land and People focuses on its namesakes-Daily
Star
A
Syrian embassy in Beirut - but where, exactly?-Daily
Star
Carter fleshes out offer to monitor Lebanese elections-Daily
Star
Britain
eases travel warning for citizens visiting Lebanon
(AFP)
Beirut slashes prices of fuel oil, kerosene again-Daily
Star
'No
indication of foul play' in Najjar accident-Daily
Star
Teaching Lebanese to Francophones and 'victims of love-Daily
Star
Lebanese and Syrians in Paris trade views on Damascus' foreign policy-Daily
Star
NGO
helps raise awareness of obstacles to mountain life-Daily
Star
Lebanese students lag behind in math, science - study-Daily
Star
UNIFIL boss decorates Chinese peacekeepers-Daily
Star
Arslan
Criticizes Jumblat and Taef Accord, Declares allegiance to Syria, Hizbullah-Naharnet
Concerted Multi National
Effort to Achieve Border Demarcation with Syria-Naharnet
Sfeir Has No Problem with
Lebanese Leaders Visiting Syria on Condition They Don't Choose to Be Submissive-Naharnet
Carter to Ask Assad for
Speedy Exchange of Embassies with Lebanon-Naharnet
Lebanon Asks Philippines
to Lift Labor Ban-Naharnet
Lebanon and Syria Exchange
Memos About Respective Embassies-Naharnet
March 14 Controls Unions-Naharnet
Gemayel Tells Carter
Elections Top the Agenda-Naharnet
Qandil Urges Christians to
Vote for Syria's Allies-Naharnet
Carter Wants to Monitor
Lebanon's Elections-Naharnet
UNIFIL Warns Patrols
against Passing by Ain el-Hilweh-Naharnet
Suleiman in Bkirki Soon to
Sponsor Maronite-Maronite Reconciliation-Naharnet
U.S.: Syrian Coordination
on Counter-Terrorism with its Neighbors is 'Not Good'-Naharnet
A Burning
Kiss That Misses Gebran Tueni's Forehead
Naharnet/With a burning kiss that a father in grief couldn't gain from the
forehead of a slain son, and tears that couldn't washout black gunpowder from
the victim's face, MP Ghassan Tueni remembered his late son Gebran on the third
anniversary of his assassination.
A mass in remembrance of Gebran Tueni, the outspoken MP-journalist and patriot
for an independent Lebanon, was held at Ashrafiyeh's Saint Dimitrios Church on
the third anniversary of the roadside bomb that claimed the life of the author
of the Cedar revolution's reputed oath for unity in defense of "magnificent
Lebanon."
"Martyrs know no despair," the ageing Ghassan Tueni, Lebanon's leading
columnist, told Gebran, the son he misses, in an article published by the daily
an-Nahar.
"The ever lasting spirit is stronger than … the blazing hellfire, the gates to
which were opened by the murderers," Tueni wrote.
"The backfire of hell would kill them … let us believe together," wrote the
father lamenting his slain son.
"Open your eyes, my beloved son, the hour of truth is coming," he told Gebran,
reflecting belief in God's justice.
The mass is to be followed by a candle light gathering near the church later in
the day Friday.
Gebran is to be honored on Saturday by the third Arab Free Press Forum in the
northern suburb of Antlias in cooperation between an-Nahar and the World
Association of Newspapers (WAN). Gebran Tueni joined a chain of martyrs from the
March 14 alliance that opposes Syria's dominance over Lebanon and accuses the
Syrian regime of killing ex-Premier Rafik Hariri in a 2005 powerful blast
targeting his motorcade in Beirut.
The International Tribunal that would try suspects in the Hariri killing and
related crimes is to start operating by March 1, as the U.N. commission probing
the killings refers its charge sheet to the court's attorney general. Beirut, 12
Dec 08, 10:53
In Iran Obama is Slammed Over Stand on Hezbullah
Naharnet/A top Iranian cleric on Friday slammed U.S. president-elect Barack
Obama's criticism of Hezbullah and defended the Islamic republic's support of
the Lebanese Shiite group. "We are announcing it frankly, that we will defend
the Lebanese Hezbullah resistance and its brave leader Hassan Nasrallah with
pride," the Friday prayers leader at Tehran University, Ahmad Khatami, told
worshippers. "They are not terrorists since they are defending their honor and
independence," he said.
"If Obama wants to decrease hatred, he has to stop making worthless comments.
Most probably the Zionists have put down a banana skin for him," Khatami said.
In an interview broadcast on Sunday, Obama said he would make clear to Tehran
that its nuclear program was "unacceptable," along with support of Hezbullah and
the Palestinian group Hamas, and its "threats against Israel." Shiite majority
Iran is a staunch supporter of Hezbullah and maintains that it provides them
with moral support and not arms as alleged by two of its arch-foes, Washington
and Israel. After the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbullah, Iran sent
money and technical expertise for reconstruction and to compensate victims.
Israel says the Shiite group is now three times stronger than during the war. (AFP)
Beirut, 12 Dec 08, 16:40
Arslan Criticizes Jumblat and Taef Accord, Declares
allegiance to Syria, Hizbullah
Naharnet/Minister of Youths and Sport Talal Arslan on Friday warned that the
escalating political rhetoric and deteriorating security would take the nation
back to pre-May 7 situation. Arslan, addressing a press conference, accused
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat of leading the nation "back to
trenches."
"I don't want Walid Jumblat to change his alliance, but to calm down the
rhetoric," Arslan said. He also declared that "I back calls for amending the
Taef Accord, it is not fit for a coherent and strong System." Arslan described
Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun as an "historic leader." Arslan
warned, however, that he would "spearhead any regional attempt to subdue Syria
through Lebanon." Beirut, 12 Dec 08, 13:38
Carter Urges Israel to Withdraw from Lebanon
Naharnet/Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Friday urged Israel to withdraw
from "sovereign Lebanon" and Syria to demarcate the joint borders with Lebanon.
Carter, addressing a press conference, also expressed hope that Lebanon would
manage to hold "peaceful, transparent and democratic" –parliamentary elections
in the spring of 2009. Carter urged Lebanese voters to "turn out heavily" at
balloting stations to "choose their leaders without any external influence."
Carter said he was "proud of the developing relations between Lebanon and
Syria," hoping that Beirut and Damascus would exchange ambassadors and demarcate
borders soon." Beirut, 12 Dec 08, 14:22
Olmert to Assad: Golan for Iran
Naharnet/Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert has asked Syrian President Bashar Assad for
a "written and official definition" of the relations between Damascus and Tehran
in case he wanted peace with the Jewish state. The daily an-Nahar quoted well
informed European diplomatic sources as saying Olmert made his point to Assad in
a written message relayed through Turkey. That was in response to an earlier
request by Assad for a "written commitment" by Israel to withdraw from the Golan
Heights in return for going into direct peace talks, according to the report.
Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 12:45
Sfeir Has No Problem with Lebanese Leaders Visiting
Syria on Condition They Don't Choose to Be Submissive
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Thursday said he welcomed a visit
by any Lebanese leader to Syria on condition they do not choose to be
submissive.
In response to a question about what he thought about Free Patriotic Movement
leader Gen. Michel Aoun's visit to Damascus, Sfeir said: "I welcome a visit to
Syria by any official as long as it is within the framework of friendliness and
not to go there to be obedient so that Syria remains in Lebanon.""This is not
acceptable," Sfeir told reporters in Bkirki. He expressed hope that
parliamentary elections would take place on time and in a quiet atmosphere. A
diplomatic source said Assad "refuses to make a pledge to Israel to give up his
alliance with Iran." Beirut, 12 Dec 08, 14:58
Carter to Ask Assad for Speedy Exchange of Embassies with Lebanon
Naharnet/Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Thursday announced that he would
encourage Syrian President Bashar Assad to speed up the setting up of diplomatic
ties with Lebanon. Carter, talking to reporters after meeting Premier Fouad
Saniora, said he would visit Syria on Saturday for talks with Assad.
He said exchanging diplomatic ties "soon would be a major step forward along the
march to achieve peace in the region."
He also expressed "hope" that Israel would soon withdraw from the Shebaa Farms
and the Lebanese sector of the southern village of Ghadjar, saying "such step
would encourage spread peace throughout the region." Carter said he delivered a
memo to Saniora and Interior Minister Ziad Baroud "offering our services in
monitoring" the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 22:17
March 14 Controls Unions
Naharnet/The March 14 alliance on Thursday announced that it has achieved a
sweeping victory in Union elections for 2008. The announcement was made by
secretary of the Democratic Renewal Movement Antoine Haddad in a press
conference called for by the March 14 alliance. March 14, Haddad explained, is
represented by five out of six syndicate heads and 45 out of 49 syndicate
council members. That left only one Syndicate head and four council members for
March 8, he noted. Such results "clearly reflect that the Lebanese civil society
and its elite have adopted the central cause, for which March 14 forces are
struggling," Haddad said. The outcome of union elections reflects support for
the march to set up an independent, sovereign and democratic state "without
which there would be no future for any Lebanese group," he added. Beirut, 11 Dec
08, 20:26
Qandil Urges Christians to Vote for Syria's Allies
Naharnet/Ex MP Nasser Qandil, an outspoken ally of Syria, on Thursday urged
Christian voters to support Syria's allies in the forthcoming elections to
facilitate normalizing relations between Beirut and Damascus. Qanqil told a
press conference the recent visit to Syria by Free Patriotic Movement leader
Michel Aoun "placed the fate of relations with Syria in the hands of Christian
voters." Success by pro-Syria March 8 candidates in the 2009 elections would
lead to "openness," Qandil said.
He warned, however, that in case the March 14 alliance won the elections, "there
would be boycott and closure of borders between the two states."
Qandil also called for "freezing" any discussion related to the fate of military
bases manned by Syrian-backed Palestinian factions in the eastern Bekaa Valley
and the coastal village of Naameh south of Beirut. A decision on opening an
embassy in Lebanon for the Palestinian Authority also should be "frozen," Qandil
suggested.
Syria is the only Arab state that does not recognize Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas' authority. Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 19:12
Suleiman in Bkirki Soon to Sponsor Maronite-Maronite
Reconciliation
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman is expected to visit Bkirki soon to sponsor
reconciliation between Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and Marada Movement
leader Suleiman Franjieh. This visit is likely to serve as a prelude for a
future meeting between Franjieh and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea.
The daily al Bairaq said Thursday that a delegation representing Franjieh will
visit Bkirki in the coming few days to set the stage for the Marada Movement
leader's visit.
Marada official Youssef Saadeh confirmed to Ad Diyar newspaper that Franjieh
will visit Bkirki in the next few days and ahead of the Christmas and New Year
holidays. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to pave the way for a similar visit to
Bkirki by Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun to brief Sfeir on his
trip to Syria. Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 10:15
Jimmy Carter and Hizballah
http://www.worlddefensereview.com/dropzone/archives/112
W. Thomas Smith Jr.''
Posted by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
on 11 December 2008 at 6:00 pm UTC
'on 11 December 2008 Poor ol’ Jimmy Carter. He’s a good man to be sure: an
excellent Sunday School teacher I’m told, a Naval Academy grad and submariner
(huge pluses in my book). But as a wartime commander-in-chief—and make no
mistake the United States was at war (with the Soviets and their proxies as well
as the Iranian revolutionaries) during his presidency—Carter has proven to be
sorely lacking.
As an elder statesman, Carter has worked tirelessly building houses for the
homeless and generally trying to further various human rights causes worldwide.
And that’s great. But where he doesn’t need to stick his nose is in the realm of
American foreign policy.
Cases in point are his recent offers to monitor the 2009 Lebanese parliamentary
elections and meet with the Lebanon-based Shia terrorist group, Hizballah.
As far as the election monitoring is concerned, Lebanon’s interior minister Ziad
Baroud said, according to USA Today, he “welcomed [Carter’s] offer but … the
Cabinet must approve it.”
As far as the proposed meeting with Hizballah is concerned, the terrorist group
— which Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff says “makes Al Qaeda look like
a minor league team” – rejected the offer because they say Hizballah doesn’t
meet with current and former U.S. presidents.
My question is, what was Carter thinking? Maybe that’s it: He wasn’t. Few
western leaders are thinking rationally when it comes to Jihadists like
Hizballah (or Hamas whom Carter has already met with).
These people are killers – at war with the infidel (meaning us) – nothing more.
Meeting with Hizballah (And, yes, Barack Obama has suggested meeting – without
precondition – Hizballah’s primary benefactor, Iran.) would accomplish
absolutely nothing for the West.
Hizballah cannot be taken at its word. Jihadists lie and deceive – and coerce or
pay their supporters, sympathizers, and apologists to do the same – as a matter
of strategic leverage (please see my piece on Al Taqiyya). Terrorists like
Hizballah meet with their enemies in order to “clean their public faces,” appear
more human, attempt to shift their enemy’s intelligence focuses, and buy time
for the greater Jihad: There is no permanent peace with the Jihadists, only
temporary truces so that they may regroup or strengthen their positions.
What such a meeting also would accomplish for Hizballah – whose leaders have
proclaimed “Death to America” – is an undeserved recognition of the terrorist
group as a formidable armed-power worthy of an audience with a former leader of
the free world. Then it would give the terrorists an opportunity to reject such
an offer, which is exactly what they did with the Carter offer.
In the end, the offer and rejection – in the eyes of Shia extremists like
Hizballah (even their Sunni counterparts like Al Qaeda) – makes America appear
weak, groveling, and jilted, which only fuels the enemy’s public standing in the
Islamic world thus enhancing their recruiting and sponsorship efforts among
rank-and-file Muslims.
Can anyone imagine a former U.S. president offering to meet with Hitler or
members of the SS during the height of World War II? Or worse, Hitler or the SS
saying “no” to such a meeting?
We are similarly at war with the Jihadists who ultimately want to subjugate or
kill us. There is no negotiating with this enemy. We must come to grips with
this fact, and stop trying to convince ourselves that Islamists think and reason
like Westerners.
The only senior Western representative to meet with Hizballah should be the
commanding general of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, and that
meeting should be an unconditional demand that Hizballah surrender its arms as
called for under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701.
As for Pres. Carter: He should stick to his volunteer work; building houses for
the homeless and teaching Sunday School.
— Visit W. Thomas Smith Jr. at uswriter.com.
Taqiyya in Geneva
by W. Thomas Smith, Jr.
(28/07/08)
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/8136
This is not rocket science (pardon the pun).
The so-called "fizzling" of the talks in Geneva between the United States and
Iran last week was not unexpected by any expert estimation. Which makes one
wonder why the US, the other four permanent members of the UN They cannot afford
to shut down the flow of oil.
Security Council (Britain, China, France and Russia), and Germany were willing
to sit down with the Persian state in the first place.
According to the AP, Iran "stonewalled" the six world powers "on their call to
freeze uranium enrichment. In response, the six gave Iran two weeks to respond
to their demand, setting the stage for a new round of UN sanctions."
Could anyone possibly believe that Iran's agreeing to meet with the six nations
followed by its rejection of their demand to halt its nuclear development was
anything other than a deceptive buying-of-time in its race to join the nuclear
club before Israel (with or without US support) launches airstrikes against its
nuclear facilities in the narrowing window of opportunity before the as-yet
unknown political environment following US elections in November?
This is not rocket science (pardon the pun), but the Iranians are afraid of
being attacked by Israel, and - though they'll never express it publicly - they
are deathly afraid of war with the US. This doesn't mean Iran is not dangerous
or irrational. It is both.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has frequently threatened to wipe Israel
off the map. He recently told the Japanese prime minister that "influential
nations should get ready for a world minus the US." He has threatened to shut
off the flow of Persian Gulf oil at the Strait of Hormuz. And earlier this
month, someone gave the order to test-launch a handful of Shahab missiles (there
was, however, a lighter side for the rest of us when Iran photo-shopped a
launched missile into a photograph of one that actually failed to leave the
pad).
Threats and missile-rattling aside, Ahmadinejad and his bosses - the mullahs who
hate us just as much as he does - know that time is not on their side. They know
that, despite their threats, they cannot afford to shut down the flow of oil,
the absolute lifeblood of their economy. They also know that big-consumers of
Iranian oil like China cannot afford to let Iran stop the flow. Iran also knows
that as soon as it has acquired a nuclear weapon, it will have a newfound
leverage, which will completely change regional dynamics. Iran simply needs more
time, and it wants the bomb.
As the Geneva talks were barely underway, Keyvan Imani, the Iranian ambassador
to Switzerland, reportedly said, "Any kind of suspension or freeze [of uranium
enrichment] is out of the question," and, "Suspension - there is no chance for
that."
Yet, chief Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili says, "Iran is calling on the Western
powers to resume the dialogue."
Why? And why the two different Iranian approaches - a refusal to compromise, yet
a desire to continue talking? It's all part of the grand deception. It is, as I
previously said, a buying of time; and the purchase is accomplished through a
Shia Islamic principle, al-taqiyya ("concealing or disguising one's beliefs,
convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions and/or strategies at a time of eminent
danger, whether now or later in time, to save oneself from physical and/or
mental injury."): Basically, Islam's justification for lying and deceiving one's
enemies.
The concept gives Shia Islamists an edge over Westerners.
"Islamic spokesmen commonly use taqiyya as a form of 'outwitting'. The matter
under discussion is not to be debated or discussed; rather the opponent is to
'outwitted' through taqiyya, by diversion of the subject and obfuscation...."
writes Warner MacKenzie in Islam Watch.
It is a difficult concept for Westerners - primarily Jews and Christians, who
view lying as a sin and who believe a man is only as good as his word - to get
their heads around. Consequently, the concept gives Shia Islamists an edge over
Westerners, who may be unconsciously more inclined to put at least a minimum
level of trust into a promise, a warm smile and a handshake.
Americans, who have an ideological aversion to war (despite the courage we have
to defend ourselves and others), are always looking for the peaceful way out,
even when we have the upper-hand militarily. Hence, the talks. But we must also
realize that al-taqiyya is still alive and well. And it reared its head in an
obvious way in Geneva.
Al Qaeda
Arrests in Belgium: Victory for the Good Guys
By Walid Phares
Terror Analyst/FOX News Contributor
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/12/11/phares_al_qaeda/
Agence France Presse and the Associated Press are reporting that Belgian
authorities have arrested 14 suspected Al Qaeda terrorists including a jihadi
who was allegedly planning a suicide attack. Sixteen raids were executed by 242
police officers in Brussels and in the eastern city of Liege. Security and
judicial sources described the arrests as the “most important anti-terrorism
operation in Belgium.” Citing the Federal prosecutor’s office, AFP reported that
the move was targeting “a Belgian Islamist group involved in training as well as
fighting on the Pakistan-Afghan border in cooperation with important figures in
Al Qaeda.”
Further evidence that the jihadi threat is truly global and that the response
must also be global.
Expanding on the arrests campaign, Le Parisien wrote that since 2007 four
Belgians and individuals from other nationalities joined a middleman by the name
“M.G” in Pakistan (to undertake jihadist activities). A few months ago, two of
the men came back to Belgium and were put under surveillance. A third man joined
them on December 4. The initial investigation began last year based on
information related to a plot to liberate Tunisian Nizar Trabulsi, an Al Qaeda
cadre who is currentlly serving 10 years for preparing an attack against a
Belgian base.
Sources added that a woman by the name of Malika al Aroud “has played an
important role in the investigation.” Al Aroud was married to the assassin of
Ahmed Shah Massoud, the anti-Taliban commander in September 2001. Her second
husband is a member of the arrested group.
The Nouvel Observateur wrote that the current investigation which was opened in
December 2007 “may have prevented an attack in Brussels.” Based on reports in
France Info, Le Figaro and other specialized sources, the most likely target of
the Al Qaeda network could have been European institutions in Brussels. It
should be noted that the arrests were made on the eve of an important European
economic summit scheduled to take place in Brussels.
What should we learn from this preemptive strike in Belgium aimed at Al Qaeda’s
European network? Based on the scope of the operation, its precision and its
timing and my own knowledge gleaned from four years of meetings with European
counterterrorism officials as well Belgian national security officials, the
short answer is we can learn a lot from this December 11 strike against terror:
1) Belgian authorities have demonstrated significant success by waging an all
out investigation against Al Qaeda for over a year without being infiltrated.
This accomplishment alone is a victory at a time when jihadists are trying to
penetrate Western security systems. Knowing the enemy, its ideology and its
tactics are paramount elements for gradual victories. In this case the Belgian
security forces and judicial authorities got it right. For example, Glen
Audenaert, the director of the Federal Belgian Police, as well as his
counterterrorism deputies have educated themselves on the nature of the beast
they are dealing with inside this small European democracy. They were aware of
the ideological nature of the group and thus were equipped to pursue it. This is
a lesson for other democracies in general and the U.S. in particular: Know your
enemy, learn about its ideology and make sure your institutions aren’t
penetrated.
2) The arrests and just released reports about them reveals the link between
European-based cells and overseas Al Qaeda battlefields. The detained Al Qaeda
members have traveled back and forth to Pakistan. One of their members was
killed as he assassinated a major anti-Taliban leader in 2001. His wife was also
involved with the group and remarried a member of the network. — Female
jihadists have been indoctrinated in Belgium for suicide operations in the
Middle East, including a convert married to a jihadist and the list goes on.
There is a highway between the “jihad lands” in the region and the “jihad bases”
in the West, including in Belgium. They also exist between the UK, France,
Germany and Spain. This should only call for increased international cooperation
against a “world jihadi network.”
3) The issue isn’t local. This is yet another example that demonstrates that
while many assert that the root causes for terrorism are found in suburban
disenfranchisement, in this case Brussels, revelations from the dismantled
network prove otherwise. The jihadists “cause” is not the socio-economic
situation in Brussels. They most likely were aiming at the Place Luxembourg in
order to crumble the political will of the European Parliament. Their aim was
not to send a message on social security or healthcare. They were targeting
Greens, socialists and liberals as well as conservatives; they had marked
democracy as a whole, not one of democracy’s debates.
4) Last but not least, this episode should remind strategists that the campaign
against jihadism is much bigger than the wars in Iraq or in Afghanistan. Like
India, Belgium was opposed to the invasion of Iraq and isn’t a main partner in
Afghanistan. Yet it was and remains a target for the combat Salafists. This is
further evidence that the jihadi threat is truly global and that the response
must also be global. Today the Belgians have scored a daring victory for the
international community.
**Dr. Walid Phares is a visiting scholar at the European Foundation for
Democracy and the Director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for
the Defense of Democracies. He is the author of “The Confrontation: Winning the
War against Future Jihad.”
Bank of Canada warns of possible debt, mortgage
defaults if conditions worsen
Thu Dec 11, 1:54 PM
Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press
By Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA - Mortgage and consumer debt defaults could rise "significantly" if the
global financial crisis deteriorates and triggers a widespread and deeper
recession that cuts household income and makes it harder to pay the bills, the
Bank of Canada warns.
In a sobering assessment of the financial crisis, the central bank concludes
that significant risks remain for both the global economy and Canada if credit
conditions don't begin to improve.
"With household balance sheets under pressure from weak equity markets,
softening house prices, slowing income growth, and record-high debt-to-income
ratios, a severe economic downturn could result in a substantial increase in
default rates on household debt," the bank writes in its December financial
systems review released Thursday.
The Bank of Canada says the number of "vulnerable households" - the three per
cent with a debt-to-income ratio above 40 per cent - could double by the end of
next year under this pessimistic scenario.
The central bank notes that this would be a worst-case scenario. The "most
likely outcome" is for global markets and credit conditions in Canada to
gradually improve, it states.
This is partly because central banks and governments around the world have
leaped into action with extraordinary measures such as liquidity injections,
asset swaps, cash infusions and credit guarantees to backstop financial
institutions.
But the central bank's top officials also warn that the crisis is far from over
and that there is "a significant risk of mutually reinforcing weakness in the
financial sector and in the real economy."
The Canadian economy is now in recession and is expected to shrink or grow only
marginally in 2009, pushing the jobless rate to well above seven per cent, with
little recovery until 2010.
Given the uncertainties, the bank officials outline five potential risks for the
world and Canada that includes tighter lending conditions as banks are forced to
restore their cash reserves, thereby creating a deeper and more prolonged
recession.
For Canadians, the repercussions of a deepening recession will be profound,
including more unemployment, lower income growth and more home defaults from
crushing debt loads, the bank says in its worst-case assessment.
And while Canadians' access to credit has not tightened significantly during the
financial crunch, this could change if the crisis persists, the bank says.
"The continued reluctance of lenders to enter the market, owing to uncertainty
over their future funding needs and existing risk exposure, risks delaying the
return of confidence and more normal financial conditions," the bank says.
"(This) could aggravate the adverse feedback loop between the financial system
and the real economy."
The risk assessment is noteworthy for its predominantly gloomy outlook -
although it remains a hypothetical one - and for the fact it was written by the
bank's governing council headed by governor Mark Carney, rather than by
lower-rank bank staff as is usually the case.
The global credit crunch has dried up lending to companies by banks and made it
more difficult in many countries for ordinary borrowers to get money for lines
of credit, consumer and car loans and mortgages.
In the United States, millions of Americans have lost their homes in the last
two years with the collapse of the sub-prime, or high-risk mortgage market,
which led to sharply higher interest rates for homeowners with poor credit and
produced widespread foreclosures.
In Canada, however, the housing sector has been more stable, but the jump in
home prices that led to soaring values in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and other
cities has begun to reverse, with dropping values in previously hot markets.
Statistics Canada reported Thursday that new home sales fell for the first time
in a decade in October, dropping 0.4 per cent from September.
Some economists warn that falling prices could lead to a housing slump and more
defaults, although foreclosures are usually a last resort and banks try to
cushion the blow by renegotiating easier repayment terms.
Canadian banks are among the best-capitalized in the world but would not emerge
unscathed, the central bank's analysis concludes.
Much as has happened in the United States, the officials say household debt woes
could be a channel of contagion spreading through the banking system and further
restrict the availability of credit.
Banks are somewhat insulated by mortgage insurance, but the Bank of Canada says
a severe economic downturn would nonetheless put pressure on their capital
ratios.
The central bank does caution that the vulnerability of Canada's housing sector
should not be overstated.
It notes that lending practices in Canada have been far more conservative than
those in the U.S. and that subprime mortgages account for about five per cent of
the market as opposed to 14 per cent in the U.S.
As well, although debt is high, low interest rates means that at present most
households are able to comfortably manage their financial obligations
Sfeir back visits to Syria - but 'not obedience'
Daily Star staff
Friday, December 12, 2008
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said on Thursday that he was
not against any visit by any Lebanese leader to Syria on the condition that
Lebanese politicians choose not to be submissive in their relations with
Damascus. "I welcome a visit to Syria by any official as long as it is within
the framework of friendliness and not obedience," Sfeir said when asked to
comment on Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's recent visit to
Damascus "I don't mean to point at Aoun, but I care to say that relations
between Lebanon and Syria should be similar to relations between any two
sovereign neighbors," he told reporters after meeting with a delegation headed
by Press Federation head Melhem Karam.
Sfeir also said that an exchange of embassies between Lebanon and Syria, despite
being an otherwise normal measure between any two states, carries with it some
risks as the ambassador would be "very close to the events.""Diplomatic
relations should serve both countries and not only one," he warned.
The patriarch was also quoted by Karam as saying that he had not been informed
about a possible visit by Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh to Bkirki.
News reports on Thursday said that such a visit would be mediated by President
Michel Sleiman in an effort to forge improved ties between the Church and
Christian politicians.Franjieh has harshly criticized the patriarch in the past
for "interfering in politics."However, Karam quoted Sfeir as saying that
Franjieh and others were always welcome to visit Bkirki. The prelate also
reiterated his call for Christians to join the Lebanese Armed Forces. "Any
sectarian imbalance in the military establishment will be dangerous," he was
quoted as saying. - The Daily Star
Britain eases travel warning for citizens visiting Lebanon
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Friday, December 12, 2008
LONDON: Britain relaxed its travel advice for Lebanon on Wednesday, lifting a
blanket warning against travel to the country which is recovering after three
years of unrest. "Due to the improved security situation, we no longer advise
against all but essential travel to the country," the Foreign Office said, in
updated advice for travelers on its website. The ministry added, however, that
it advised "against all travel to the Palestinian camps, and against all but
essential travel to Tripoli as well as south of the Litani River."Lebanon is
recovering after three years of turmoil, including assassinations, a devastating
war with Israel, a 15-week battle with Islamists, civil strife and a
debilitating political crisis.While easing its travel advice, the Foreign Office
warned: "Although the situation overall in Lebanon is calm, it is fragile.
"On several occasions in recent years, the security situation has deteriorated
rapidly to the point where we have had to advise against all travel.
"Anyone traveling to Lebanon should keep themselves well informed and closely
monitor political and security developments." - AFP
Carter fleshes out offer to monitor Lebanese elections
Baroud: cabinet has final say
By Andrew Wander /Daily Star staff
Friday, December 12, 2008
BEIRUT: Former US President Jimmy Carter detailed a proposal to send a
monitoring mission to oversee next year's parliamentary elections during a
meeting with Interior Minister Ziad Baroud on Thursday. If accepted, a team
would be dispatched from the Carter Center in Atlanta to monitor next year's
vote, which is expected to be extremely close.
Baroud welcomed Carter's suggestion but emphasized that he would need Cabinet
approval to formally accept the plan.
Next year's elections are due to be held between April and June, but no date has
been fixed by the Interior Ministry as yet. Analysts are predicting a tight race
between the anti-Syrian March 14 Forces and the Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition.
Baroud said he would be pleased to have Carter's monitoring team in the country
when the vote was held.
"We have nothing to hide," he said. "On the contrary we are working in a very
transparent way. We want these elections to be held in the best form."
Carter said that if the mission was approved, he would look forward to it "great
anticipation" to its deployment.
It is unlikely that everyone in Lebanon will feel the same way. Hizbullah, which
is labeled a "terrorist" group by Washington, turned down a meeting with Carter
on the basis that it don't meet with members of any US administration. Some of
Hizbullah's allies, however, have met with the former president.
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and members of Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri's parliamentary bloc both spent time on Thursday with Carter, who
has said he wants to meet all political leaders in Lebanon during his trip.
Carter also visited the grave of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, where he laid
a wreath while accompanied by the slain leader's son, parliamentary majority
leader Saad Hariri. The former president also met Prime Minister Fouad Siniora,
Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel, and Lebanese Forces boss Samir Geagea.
Carter began a five-day trip to Lebanon on Tuesday. he has already met with
President Michel Suleiman and will speak at AUB tomorrow, before heading to
Syria on Saturday, where he will meet President Bashar Assad and the exiled
leadership of Palestinian group Hamas.
Earlier this year Carter met with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Damascus,
sparking controversy and condemnation from those who consider the group a
terrorist organization. But a senior Hamas official in Damascus told the
Associated Press that Carter wanted to meet with officials from the group to
discuss the case of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who has been held prisoner
by the group for more than two years.
Carter's last meeting with Hamas facilitated the delivery of a handwritten
letter from Shalit to his parents. The former president is also said to be keen
to discuss the prospects of a truce between Hamas and Israel with members of the
Palestinian group. Carter forged the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt
and has dedicated his time since leaving office to promoting peace and human
rights around the world. He has also authored several books, including
"Palestine: Peace not Apartheid." - With agencies
Beirut slashes prices of fuel oil, kerosene again
Daily Star staff
Friday, December 12, 2008
BEIRUT: The prices of fuel oil and kerosene in Lebanon fell by LL1,300 and
LL1,400 respectively on Thursday. But the prices of gasoline remained the same.
According to the new list, 20 liters of kerosene now sells for LL17,200, fuel
oil LL16,500, diesel oil LL17,500 and gasoline LL23,500. The government has been
slashing the prices of fuel oil and kerosene over the past two months in light
of sharp falls in international markets. But the government refuses to reduce
the price of gasoline because it would reduce Treasury revenues of more than
$1.3 million a day. - The Daily Star
A Syrian embassy in Beirut - but where, exactly?
Friday, December 12, 2008
BEIRUT: Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh and Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council chief
Nasri Khoury exchanged on Thursday memorandums specifying the locations for the
headquarters of their respective embassies in Syria and Lebanon. While both
officials refused to reveal details about the future locations of the embassies,
news reports said that the Syrian embassy would be located in the Beirut area of
Ramlet al-Baida and the Lebanese embassy in the Damascus neighborhood of Abu
Rummaneh.Following a meeting with Salloukh, Khoury said that the names of
ambassadors were discussed "in secret" between the two countries.
He added that the locations of the headquarters would be announced after taking
the appropriate measures.
Asked about the future role of the Higher Syrian-Lebanese Council, Khoury said:
"The presence of the council does not contradict the establishment of the
embassy."
"Nonetheless, this issue will be discussed by both countries," he added. Khoury
added that the nomination of a Lebanese ambassador to Syria was not a topic for
tackling through the media.
For his part, Salloukh said he expected an exchange of embassies and
appointments to the diplomatic missions to be completed before the end of the
year.
He also denied reports that Michel Khoury, Lebanon's current ambassador to
Cyprus, had been chosen to become the first Lebanese ambassador to Syria.
Sources from the Lebanese Foreign Ministry quoted by the Central News Agency
(CNA) said Thursday that Salloukh would not submit the article appointing a
Lebanese ambassador to Damascus during Saturday's ministerial session.They added
that the foreign minister would only inform the Cabinet of the latest logistic
procedures pertaining to the establishment of embassies. The sources also said
that while Khoury had the highest chance to be appointed as ambassador to Syria,
his appointment would not occur within the coming days.
The Cabinet session will, however, address the appointment of the 10 members of
a committee in charge of monitoring next year's parliamentary elections, the CNA
report said. In a separate development on Thursday, Progressive Socialist Party
leader MP Walid Jumblatt stressed his commitment to calm political rhetoric, but
added that this did not include his position toward Syria.In comments to As-Safir
newspaper, Jumblatt said that his position toward the Syrian regime had not
changed.
He also expressed concern over what he called "Western openness to Damascus at
the expense of Lebanese ambitions."
Jumblatt added that he had "complete trust in President Michel Sleiman and the
Cabinet to implement the points agreed on during the national dialogue
sessions."
In related comments on Thursday, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said he supported
security cooperation with Syria.
He added that security cooperation with Syria had not stopped, even when
bilateral relations were at their worst level. Separately, news reports said
Thursday that Sleiman was expected to visit Bkirki soon to sponsor
reconciliation between Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir and Marada
Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh. This visit aims to pave the way for a meeting
between Franjieh and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea.
The reports added that a delegation representing Franjieh would visit Bkirki in
the coming days to prepare for the Marada Movement leader's visit.
An official in the Marada said that Franjieh would visit Bkirki ahead of the
Christmas and New Year holidays. Meanwhile, efforts are under way to pave the
way for a similar visit to Bkirki by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel
Aoun aimed at briefing Sfeir on his trip to Syria.
In comments to As-Safir newspaper on Thursday, Aoun stressed that he did not
discuss parliamentary elections with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"Others believe that my visit to Syria was risky, but in my view, I was applying
my convictions," he said. "I get excited about impossible battles and impossible
issues which I usually win," he added. Also Thursday, Lebanese Forces leader
Samir Geagea paid a visit to Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
In remarks to reporters after the meeting, Geagea stressed the need to "send for
international observers in the upcoming parliamentary elections so that Lebanon
becomes again the example of democracy in the Middle East."Siniora also met on
Thursday with Education Minister Bahia Hariri and Qatari Energy Minister
Abdallah Atieh. Separately, Defense Minister Elias Murr will pay an official
visit on Monday to Russia, where he is expected to meet top officials to discuss
the means to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces.
'No indication of foul play' in Najjar accident
Daily Star staff
Friday, December 12, 2008
BEIRUT: Judicial sources said Thursday that initial investigations into a car
accident that claimed the life of a bodyguard for Justice Minister Ibrahim
Najjar, and resulted in injuries to the minister and his wife, indicate no sign
of foul play. Sources told The Daily Star that there was no evidence thus far
that might indicate that the accident was an attack against the minister.
According to judicial reports, the accident occurred late Wednesday on the Nahr
al-Kalb seaside highway, when a car was trying to bypass Najjar's convoy and hit
another car.Civil Defense members f helped Najjar and the other injured out of
the car and rushed them to Hotel Dieu de France Hospital. News reports said that
Najjar had suffered some bone fractures. - The Daily Star
Lebanese and Syrians in Paris trade views on Damascus' foreign policy
By Karah Byrns
Special to The Daily Star
Friday, December 12, 2008
PARIS: Around 100 Lebanese, Syrian and French citizens attended an open debate
in Paris last Friday on Damascus' foreign policy in the region and the world.
The debate, titled "The Foreign Policy of Syria: its relationship with Lebanon,
its position in the region and its connections with world powers," was hosted by
the Paris-based association Collectif de Citoyens Libanais et Amis du Liban
(Collective of Lebanese Citizens and Friends of Lebanon) in the town hall of the
upscale Fifteenth Arrondisement. The guest speakers were Elizabeth Picard,
director of Research at the National Center of Scientific Research, and Samir
Aita, a Syrian economist and editor in chief for the Monde Diplomatique Arabic
edition. The debate was mediated by French journalist Christophe Boltanski.
Seats were reserved in advance via the association's website, but even standing
room was scarce as the debate began, although additional chairs had been brought
in to accommodate the overflow.
The mayor of the Fifteenth Arrondisement, Philippe Goujoun, introduced the
event, citing his own interest in Lebanon and his appreciation of its unique
spirit of "tolerance and openness" and endurance as a nation. Goujoun invited
the Lebanese of the Fifteenth Arrondisement, which is sometimes called "Beirut-sur-Seine"
because of its large number of Lebanese inhabitants, to consider the town hall
as their own, where all are welcome.
The debate covered several key questions, including Syria's objectives in
Lebanon today and how to establish "normal" diplomatic relations between the two
countries. Discussions also addressed the evolution of the relationship between
Syria and world powers, such as Iran, France, the United States, Israel and
Saudi Arabia.
"Our objective is to be able to debate sensitive subjects without taking sides
by inviting speakers who can give a pertinent analysis that gives us the keys to
understanding the issues," said Joelle El Khoury-Serrano, vice president of
Collectif de Citoyens Libanais.
Though the debate was intended to cover the full extent of Syrian foreign
policy, discussions were highly focused on the implications of the country's
policy toward Lebanon, particularly in light of Free Patriotic Movement leader
MP Michel Aoun's recent visit to Damascus. This focus on Lebanon was also
reflected in the opening statement of the association's president, Mohammad
Hamdan, who urged the crowd to recognize Lebanon's need to establish a common
vision for its relationship with Syria, one that "defines mutual guarantees to
respect Lebanese sovereignty."
The debate was opened for questions from the audience twice and lasted for
two-and-a-half hours. Questions were posed by French, Lebanese, and Syrian
audience members, who also shared their personal perspectives on the issues at
hand. Many participants lingered for up to an hour after the event to talk
personally with both of the invited speakers. Aita insisted that "Syrians take
more interest in knowing about Lebanon than Lebanese take in knowing about
Syria," adding that he was satisfied with the turnout at the debate and the way
that it had progressed. Some of Aita's remarks during the debate sparked off
tense exchanges among members of the audience, but he drew a small crowd of both
supporters and opponents who continued discussing the issues calmly with him
long after the debate was closed. "The reactions tonight were much more peaceful
than what we were seeing two or three years ago," said Picard. She added
that she was very satisfied with the event and "to have had the occasion to give
Lebanese and Syrians an opportunity for dialogue."
NGO helps raise awareness of obstacles to mountain life
By Matthew Mosley
Special to The Daily Star
Friday, December 12, 2008
HERMEL: The spotlight is on Lebanon's mountains for the month of December. CIFA
(Centre pour l'Insertion par la Formation et l'Activite) has collaborated with
CYCLAMEN, a division of Lebanese tour operator TLB Destinations, to organize a
series of themed treks in celebration of International Mountain Day.
In 2003 the UN General Assembly designated December 11 as International Mountain
Day. The aim was to create awareness of the importance of mountains to life, to
discuss the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to bring
positive change to the world's mountains and highlands.
Each year a different theme is chosen relevant to sustainable mountain
development. This year the focus is "Food Security in the Mountains." Harsh
climates and difficult, often inaccessible, terrain combined with political and
social marginality, make mountain residents vulnerable to food shortages.
Soaring food prices and increased transportation costs to remote areas mean that
mountain communities are paying much more for their food. The problem of hunger
in mountains is getting worse. The organizers of International Mountain Day hope
to create debate and activity around this problem.
"Lebanon is famous for its natural beauty and unique mountain ranges. This is an
opportunity for us to create awareness on a local level and global level for
Lebanon's mountain community and the challenges they are facing," explained
Sabina Llewellyn-Davies, project manager for CIFA. CIFA is a Lebanese non-profit
organization that focuses on the linkages between tourism and sustainable
development.
This week CIFA organized a two-day trek for a group of Lebanese, European and
American hiking enthusiasts. On Monday the group headed for the eastern side of
Qornet al-Sawda in Hermel.
At some 3,090 meters above sea level, this is the highest peak in Lebanon and
the Levant. The slopes are dotted with forests of gnarled juniper trees, thought
to be the oldest of their kind in the world. The group stayed at Lazaab (which
means "juniper" in Arabic), a simple lodging in the Al-Bweib area, 1,900 meters
above sea level. The proprietor, Abu Mirham, is a local of the area with a vast
knowledge of the terrain. He led a four-hour hike through the surrounding areas.
The group saw a juniper tree which is reputed to be 4,000 years old. The local
Assi River is famous for its trout, and guests at Lazaab were treated to an
abundance of grilled fish, together with other local specialities. "Staying in
mountain lodges and purchasing local food products provides the locals with a
source of income," said Davies. "We also wish to bring awareness in terms of our
heritage, food traditions and the preservation of what makes our country so
unique and beautiful."
Other culinary highlights included a breakfast of eggs and local cheeses and a
sampling of kishik, a speciality made from yoghurt and grain. All this feasting
benefited the local community economically but it also endangered the waistlines
of the group. "This cheese is delicious but I need to burn it off," said one
guest at Lazaab.
Luckily Abu Mirham was ready and waiting the next day to lead another four-hour
hike.
Land and People focuses on its namesakes
AUB professor has sparked series of initiatives to help rural areas stand on
their own feet
By Nicholas Kimbrell
Daily Star staff
Friday, December 12, 2008
AITA AL-SHAAB: In August 2006, American University of Beirut (AUB) professor
Rami Zurayk borrowed a motorbike and rode to South Lebanon to visit some of the
villages hardest hit by the 2006 summer war with Israel. Many of the roadways
heading south had been bombed so Zurayk often traveled through the mountains.
"There were no [passable] roads and I wanted to help immediately," he said.
Dozens of villages had been virtually destroyed in the fighting and fields were
littered with unexploded cluster bombs. Zurayk quickly realized that many rural
livelihoods, particularly those dependant on farming and agricultural
production, were in desperate need of help.
Zurayk, a well-known member of Lebanon's progressive environmentalist community,
quickly set up mobile clinics to deliver supplies and know-how to communities
and farmers across the South, beginning in Aita al-Shaab and Aytaroun and moving
to dozens of other villages below the Litani river.
As his development work took shape, Zurayk labeled the project Land and People,
and partnered with Samidoun, a group comprised of many former AUB students who
worked to provide services to the South throughout the war.
Over the last two years, Land and People has grown into a fluid and far-reaching
organization, helping hundreds of farmers and producers to rehabilitate their
lands and introduce organic agricultural practices.
It is one of several development-driven groups, most coordinated through AUB,
that are working to promote conservation, biodiversity and agricultural
sustainability in some of Lebanon's poorest, rural areas.
Land and People is made up of three mobile clinics, each headed by an engineer
who works directly with farmers in Southern villages. Each clinic was designed
to reach 200 farmers, producers and families, and to increase their yearly
income by $500.
"Destroying people's livelihoods, as Israel did in the war, can only be
responded to by building people's livelihoods," Zurayk said.
A New York-based group of Lebanese-Americans known as SEAL, the Italian
non-profit organization UCODEP and Germany's Heinrich Boll Foundation have
provided financial support for the work.
According to Zurayk, each clinic costs $25,000 a year. But he noted that when
the costs are seen through the additional profit for each farmer or producer
(what Zurayk termed "livelihoods"), the project has a net return of 400 percent.
"We have met, actually exceeded our goals," he said.
Land and People's mobile clinics visit farmers across the South daily. In Deir
Qanoun, just south of Tyre, a farm destroyed in the 2006 conflict was rebuilt
into a women's cooperative. Twenty-five women work the land, growing vegetables
and herbs and making traditional bread. All of the products are grown
organically and certified by Libancert, Lebanon's organic certification body.
"We can't give them money but we give them the tools and teach them the
practices," said Khalil Olleik, one of Land and People's three engineers.
Several kilometers down the road, a citrus grower, Ahmad Chebli, greeted Khalil
and Hassan Hamzeh, another engineer, warmly. He had been planning to cut down
his citrus trees before Khalil helped him rehabilitate his soil, which had very
high PH levels.
Land and People engineers took soil samples back to AUB for analysis and
returned with recommendations.
"When Khalil came, everything changed," said Chebli, who has also become an
organic farmer.
Closer to the Blue Line in Chemaa, the engineers visited Mohammad Srour, a large
frik producer. Srour spoke about the amount of farming land that had been
destroyed during the war. Along with aiding in rehabilitation, he said that Land
and People had helped him market his frik, made by burning green wheat, at
farmers' markets and shops in larger urban areas.
This is another of Land and People initiatives - to help farmers reach larger
markets and to directly connect producers and consumers, part of what Zurayk
called "tinkering the value chain."
Nowhere is this goal more visible than in Aita al-Shaab, where Land and People
established a women's cooperative to make laurel oil and soap. Women from the
village harvest the laurel seeds and extract the oil, by traditional methods -
boiling them slowly and ladling the potent extract.
The soaps and oils are marketed in Beirut, at places like the popular Souk al-Tayeb
farmers' market and Healthy Basket, an organic foods boutique that Zurayk helped
start.
"[In 2006] the whole place was littered with cluster bombs," Zurayk recalled.
"The women harvested the laurel before they had been cleared."
Land and People also has a strong presence in Aytaroun, where engineers have
helped farmers purify water and transplant trees; and around Nabatiyeh, where
large crops of zaatar are grown.
"I developed Land and People, alone, as a citizen of Lebanon," Zurayk said,
adding that it still abides by its original aim to build the livelihood assets
of rural farmers, particularly those affected by the conflict.
As Land and People grew, Zurayk decided that it might work more effectively if
it were directly tied to AUB.
"AUB had connected itself during the war to small development projects ¾ I
thought we could consolidate the through a bigger, AUB-based multi-faceted
organization," he said.
So Land and People became a part of IBSAR, AUB's Initiative for Biodiversity
Studies in Arid Regions.
According to its director, Salma Talhouk, IBSAR is an interfaculty,
interdisciplinary center devoted to "conservation and biological diversity."
The center, which has grown from a staff of four people to more than 20, works
with professors, scientists and specialists in a number of fields.
IBSAR has partnered with foreign schools like the University of Helsinki and the
University of Toledo to invest traditional knowledge with up-to-date research
and biotechnology, in an effort to explore the bioactive and medicinal
properties of native species. It also works to monitor and conserve Lebanon's
biodiversity and promote sustainable uses of biodiversity (the program under
which Land and People falls).
One of IBSAR's more high-profile campaigns is the Seeds of Hope, Trees for
Tomorrow project. The project's objective is to create a nationwide tree and
shrub field bank and to engage local communities in conservation projects.
Through Seeds of Hope, IBSAR plans to help more than 100 municipalities plant
50,000 native trees by 2010, in what Talhouk called "community forest field
banks."
"If you plant something and see it grow, it's different than treating it an
abstract way," Talhouk said. "It is the people who will conserve ... This won't
happen unless they feel compelled to participate."
Although IBSAR is playing in active role, helping municipalities participate,
Talhouk said that she hopes villages and citizens will eventually take the lead
in the project, and adopt a lifestyle of conservation.
Talhouk said that the center aims to work differently than donor-driven NGOs and
international organizations, by creating a lasting connection between the people
and the land - a sentiment that Zurayk echoed.
She added that native species are under considerable pressure in Lebanon, often
enhanced by economic needs. It's important, she said, to find the right way to
move forward, "to find the balance between human needs and conservation."
IBSAR bases much of its work out of AREC, AUB's Agricultural Research and
Education Center in the Bekaa Valley, often referred to as the AUB Farm. It
created the first national seed bank and grows many of the seedlings for Seeds
of Hope at the extension campus.
Zurayk, a professor in AUB's Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences (which
founded AREC in the early1950s), was recently named the head the facility and he
now runs Land and People out of AREC. He has plans to expand its development
work into the Bekaa.
AREC is a fully functioning campus and farm, growing corn, alfalfa, barley,
wheat and olives and raising chickens, cows and sheep. Much of the produce from
the farm is sold at AUB's Beirut campus. FAFS students each spend a semester
studying at the facility. A great deal of research and community outreach also
takes place at the Bekaa campus.
The proximity of the facility to some of Lebanon's poorest
agricultural-dependant communities in Baalbek, Akkar, Hermel and the Western
Bekaa, what Zurayk called "the country's misery belt," allows AREC to reach out
quickly to communities in need.
Indeed, AREC regularly holds seminars for local farmers to improve their farming
techniques. Late this fall, 12 farmers attended one such seminar on organic
farming and traditional dairy production.
"We've learned that we do everything wrong," one of the farmers said, smiling.
They all seemed grateful for the help.
"Farming occupies an important role, even if it is only 30 percent of income,"
Zurayk said. "Our incentive is our commitment and passion and our beliefs that
the livelihoods of people can improve with minimal knowledge."
Zurayk expressed the hope that Land and People could a responsive outreach tool
for AREC, which he described as the only center in the region to focus on
"sustainable food systems."
"Our focus is the well-being of the whole population," he said, adding that
projects like IBSAR and Land and People, devoted to ecological harmony and
balance, could indirectly influence notions of sovereignty, freedom and
citizenship.
Speaking of his work, Zurayk asked: "Do you position yourself in social activism
that is essentially political? Or do you create a space for yourself?"
AREC and the programs run with and through it help to create this space, he
said.
"Being involved in social change without having to defer to sectarian
interests," he explained, "to me this is how you build a citizen."